“Lufthansa has become the first airline in the world to use a biofuel mix on scheduled services. The German flag carrier used a 50/50 mix between jet fuel and “biosynthetic” fuel sources from jatropha, camelina plants and animal fats on the regular service between Hamburg and Frankfurt on Friday, and will continue to do so on Airbus 321 that will fly between the city four times a day over the next six months,” according to Climate Spectator.

“Lufthansa said the fuel, made by Finnish company Neste Oil, can be used without any modifications to aircraft or its engines. Lufthansa aims to use the $10 million trial as part of its drive to lower emissions as well as improve fuel efficiency beyond its current 4.2 litres per 100 passenger kilometers. Finnair is to soon begin use of biofuels on commercial flights between Amsterdam and Helsinki, while UK package carrier Thomson says it will also test green fuels on services between Birmingham and Palma from this September.”

Stroud explains how important demonstration plants are in the process towards commercialisation:

“The capital expenditure for the first commercial facility will be predominantly equity in risk nature. The providers of these funds will need the independent validation as part of their risk assessment procedure.”

The interview also touches on the company’s main goals and what the future is for Algae.Tec:

“The primary goal is to obtain independent, third party validation of the company’s technology, which has been internally proven… The next step will be the construction of a commercial facility.”

Ethanol Producer Magazine has featured Algae.Tec this week. The advanced renewable oil company has signed a collaboration contract with Australia’s largest ethanol producer, the Manildra Group, to construct a demonstration-scale algae production facility in Nowra, NSW.

Algae.Tec Executive Chairman Roger Stroud, says the project could be operational by the first quarter of 2012.

The article also draws attention to the reasons for the facility’s location, “Due to the industrial nature of the site, and its mix of CO2 sources, there is sufficient flexibility with the demonstration site to carry out a valid and credible operation without obstructing the day-to-day operations,” Stroud explains.

Biorefining Magazine has reported on Algae.Tec, bringing attention to the collaboration contract it has just signed with the Manildra Group to construct a demonstration-scale algae production facility in Nowra, Australia.

The article draws attention to the Manildra Group who is offering “several contributions to the project, including access to the land and utilities.”

Biorefining Magazine also interviews Executive Chairman Roger Stroud, who explains that the company intends for some of the algae feedstock to be converted into jet fuel for aircraft engines.

WME has reported on Algae.Tec who has signed a collaboration contract with the Manildra group.

The article explains that the “Manildra Group is Australia’s largest ethanol producer and its collaboration with Algae.Tec will utilise the McConchie-Stroud system as the technology captures carbon emissions from power stations and manufacturing facilities that feeds into the algae growth system.”

The article also mentions the Arrowhead report, which says the global market for bioalgae is poised for huge growth in the next 10 years.

Algae Industry Magazine has published an article featuring Algae.Tec’s collaboration contract with the Manildra Group, Australia’s largest ethanol producer, to construct the company’s Shoalhaven One demonstration facility in Nowra, NSW, Australia.

“Construction of the demonstration facility is expected to commence in August and startup is scheduled for the first quarter 2012. The company is building the full-scale demonstration plant for third-party validation, process optimization and marketing of Algae.Tec’s technology.”

Domestic Fuel have published an article on Algae.Tec’s recent announcement of the construction of an algae demonstration facility in Shoalhaven One, in Nowra south of Sydney, Australia.

The article explains the collaboration contract the advanced renewable fuel company has with the Manildra Group, Australia’s largest ethanol producer.

Executive Chairman of Algae.tec says “Algae.Tec is one of only a few advanced biofuels companies globally with a technology designed to grow algae on an industrial scale and produce valuable biofuels that replace increasingly expensive fossil fuels.”

Advance renewable oil company Algae.Tec has signed a contract to build its proposed algae harvesting and production facility. ‘Shoalhaven One’ will be at the Manildra Group’s Nowra ethanol plant, the largest ethanol producer in Australia, Climate Spectator, San Francisco Chronicle and Proactive Investors write.

The articles detail that the Algae.Tec team also recently returned from customer and site meetings in Germany and China.

Executive Chairman of Algae.Tec, Roger Stroud, says “Algae.Tec is one of only a few advanced biofuels companies globally, with a technology designed to grow algae on an industrial scale and produce valuable biofuels that replace increasingly expensive fossil fuels.”

Green Technology World has released an article featuring Virgin Airline Group who are negotiating agreements to develop and produce aviation biofuels at their Los Angeles, international airport.

Because there is “significant stage-length operations” at the L.A airport, airlines such as V Australia, Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic will be able to maximise bio-derived jet fuel deployment at a single shared location.

Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson, says this progression is a “vital breakthrough” for the entire airline industry. “Its enables those of us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on developing the fuels of the future,” Branson says.

Branson also explains that fully commercial biofuel flights are likely to employ feedstock such as algae to charter their jets.

A business jet has successfully completed, for the first time, a transatlantic flight powered by biofuel, flying from the U.S. to France, landing at the Paris International Air Show, Wired writes.

The article explains how the jet’s across seas journey marks a growing importance in developing aviation into a more environmentally friendly industry.

The article also mentions the significant step forward for the biofuels and aviation industries when ASTM International issued a provisional set of standards for the production of aviation biofuel, earlier this month.

The Augusta Chronicle has published an article featuring Algae Bioenergy Solutions LLC, who are in the works to begin their algae biofuel production.

The advanced biofuels company plans to open July 15 at its U.S facility in Augusta.

The algae will be shipped to Green Valley Biofuels which produces biodiesel. Currently the facility uses soybean oil as feedstock, however the algae grown at the Augusta facility will replace the soybean oil completely over the coming years.

The article explains that the algae is grown in a modular system, “which the company will expand and build on as funding is raised.”

Not only will this progression help the biofuels and cleantech industries, but will also allow for more employment opportunities, “the company will employ 10 to 12 people to start , but plans to hire more than 200 over the next two years.”

The Telegraph U.K. has published an article highlighting Peterborough’s support in the future of algae energy, by encouraging firms to attend algae biofuel workshops, in the hope it will help identify business opportunities.

“The workshop will share information on the technological and commercial opportunities for businesses associated with microalgae and biofuels.”

The article explains how the East of England is predicted to become one of the major areas for growth in renewable energy in the next 10-15 years. Peterborough has been the recent focus due to the combination of its geographical opportunities, skills availability, low urban pressure and natural resources.

Biofuel from non-food materials, that are blended with traditional jet fuel, have been approved by safety authorities in the U.S. to be used on commercial flights worldwide, Bloomberg writes.

The Air Transport Association has confirmed this week, that this preliminary approval allows fuel that has been processed from organic waste such as algae or wood chips, to “comprise as much as 50 percent of the total fuel burned to power passenger flights.”

The article explains how this decision to amend jet fuel specifications to include fuels from bio-derived sources, is a huge step forward for the both the aviation and cleantech industries. The development of renewable fuel supply is critical in achieving “carbon-neutral growth beyond 2020 and creating a sustainable future for aviation and the global community it serves,” Boeing Vice President of Environment and Aviation Policy, Billy Glover says.

This week, leading German research institutions, enterprises in the aviation field and bioenergy producers founded the association Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany (AIREG), Focus on Travel News writes.

“The association sees itself as a platform for promoting science and research in the area of climate-friendly aviation fuels, with the overriding emphasis on sustainability.”

The article explains how the initiative seeks to encourage the use of sustainable energy sources within the aviation industry in Germany and to set a strong precedence for political decision-making with regard to the introduction of climate-friendly aviation fuels.

The article also touches on the potential of microscopic algae, explaining that “energy-providing plants of this kind offer the possibility of avoiding competition with food production for available space.”

Climate Spectator has also reported on the Air Transport Association (ATA), which has gained approval to use fuel processed from algae for up to 50 per cent of their fuel needs.

The article explains that airlines will be able to start using bio-derived fuel once final approval has been reached in July, “the decision comes as the European Union tries to force airlines to cap emissions or buy permits from next year “.

The article also brings attention to the CSIRO report released last month, indicating Australia has the resources to “provide 46 per cent of aviation fuel for Australia and New Zealand by 2020, and 100 per cent by 2050″. The Australian airline Qantas, has already signed agreements supporting the production of fuels from organic sources such as urban waste and algae, and is looking to build its first refinery in the next couple of years.

The Spokesperson Review has release an article, bringing attention to the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds who displayed impressive performances at Andrews Air Force Base last week. The article notes, that the demonstration was not just about aeronautic stunts, but an environmental statement as “Two of the six F-16s were burning a 50-50 mix of regular jet fuel and biofuel.”

The stunt illustrated “the service’s confidence in what many in military and civil aviation hope will be the fuel of the not-so-distant future.”

The article goes on to explain that the Air Force, Navy, several airlines, and manufacturers have been testing hydrotreated renewable jet-fuel (HRJ) for sometime.

HRJ production is derived from a myriad of resources including oilseed, forest and municipal waste. The article also highlights algae as having high potential as a renewable resource.

The article reminds readers that in March, President Obama announced his support for four commercial-scale biofuels plants.